Aerothai upgrades Thai airspace with 6 tech projects

Khaosod•Economy•19h ago

Reader Briefing

Aerothai is implementing six technology projects in 2026 to enhance air traffic management and safety to support Thailand's goal of becoming a global aviation hub.

•Aerothai plans 6 key technology projects for the 2026 budget year to improve flight safety and reduce delays.
•The L770 flight route (NAN-SAGAG) between Thailand and China is scheduled to open on September 3, 2026.
•Flight volume for the 2026 budget year is projected to reach 919,643 flights, a 1.64% increase from the previous year.
•The BOBCAT system has reduced flight circling time by over 73,000 minutes and saved over 8,300 tons of fuel.

Overview

•Pichet Kunathamraks, Chairman of Aerothai, expects flight volume in the 2026 budget year (October 2025-September 2026) to be 919,643 flights.
•Current flight totals stand at 777,456, comprising 385,991 international flights, 297,234 domestic flights, and 94,231 overflights.
•The L770 flight route (NAN-SAGAG) between Thailand and China will open on September 3, 2026, through cooperation between Thailand, China, and Laos.
•The L770 route is expected to reduce flight distances by 27.5-35.2 nautical miles, lowering airline costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
•Surachai Nuaprom, Acting President of Aerothai, stated that Aerothai will implement 6 projects in 2026, including Weather Radar data linking and Digital Tower installations at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports.
•Aerothai will install Remote Towers at Narathiwat and Betong airports, develop the System Monitoring and Control (SMC) system, and upgrade to the SWIM system.
•Aerothai will expand the BOBCAT system for flights over Afghanistan and drive Green ATM to reduce fuel use and emissions.
•The BOBCAT system developed by Aerothai increased the number of flights using the system by 67% and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by over 26,000 tons.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Read on Khaosod (Thai Version)

Source: Khaosod (Original)

View Original Article

Key Entities

Organization

Aerothai(บวท.)

The agency responsible for air traffic management in Thailand implementing 6 technology upgrade projects.

Person

Pichet Kunathamraks(พิเชฐ คุณาธรรมรักษ์)

Chairman of Aerothai.

Surachai Nuaprom(สุรชัย หนูพรหม)

Deputy President and Acting President of Aerothai.

Place

Suvarnabhumi(สุวรรณภูมิ)ℹ️

One of the airports with the highest flight volume and a site for Digital Tower installation.

Don Mueang(ดอนเมือง)ℹ️

One of the airports with the highest flight volume and a site for Digital Tower installation.

Phuket(ภูเก็ต)ℹ️

One of the airports with the highest flight volume.

Chiang Mai(เชียงใหม่)ℹ️

One of the airports with the highest flight volume.

Samui(สมุย)ℹ️

One of the airports with the highest flight volume.

Narathiwat(นราธิวาส)ℹ️

An airport where a Remote Tower will be installed.

Betong(เบตง)

An airport where a Remote Tower will be installed.

China(จีน)ℹ️

A main aviation market and partner in the L770 flight route.

Laos(ลาว)ℹ️

A partner in the L770 flight route.

Afghanistan(อัฟกานิสถาน)ℹ️

The airspace for which the BOBCAT flight management system is being expanded.